The present invention relates generally to a device for tensioning cable, and in particular, to a device for tensioning surgical cable in a variety of medical procedures.
Surgical cable is used in reconstructive spine surgery involving fusions, spine trauma surgery, total hip arthroplasty, fracture fixation, and other trauma surgery. Depending upon the application, the surgical cable can either be monofilament wire or a multifilament cable.
In a typical medical procedure in which surgical cable is utilized to secure two body parts together, a small permanent loop is made at one end of a length of surgical cable and held permanently by a tubular crimp member. The cable is wrapped around the two body parts and then the loose end of the cable is threaded through the permanent loop. A flanged tubular crimp member, sometimes referred to as a "tophat" because of its appearance, is threaded onto the loose end of the cable and slid down to abut the small loop. A cable tensioning device is then attached to the loose end of the cable. The tensioning device draws the cable through the small loop and tophat until the tension in the cable wrapped around the two body parts has achieved a desired amount. Next, the tophat is crimped in order to preserve the tension in the cable wrapped around the body parts and allow the cable tensioning device to be withdrawn. Finally, the loose cable extending from the crimped tophat is trimmed as necessary.
It is often desirable and usually critical that the tension in the surgical cable be ascertainable and controllable. Thus, it is desirable that the surgical tensioning device have the ability to tension the surgical cable in a controlled manner and afford the physician the ability to directly determine the tension in the cable at any time. In addition to these requisites, a usable surgical tensioning device should be designed in form and function to be ergonomic, easy to use, and reliable.